Oglethorpe County officials issued a stop work order to Timberland Solar Project on Jan. 26.
The order requires an immediate stop to all project activities, except for fixing violations or maintaining erosion control. This order remains in effect until RWE Clean Energy, which manages the project, addresses the issues mentioned in the violation notice.
“The stop work order is not something that I look forward to,” Commission Chair Jay Paul said. “My goal is to work with people and for them to get in compliance basically on their own volition, and I wish that would happen with Timberland as well.”
The decision was in response to unaddressed violations that raised concerns about environmental impact, public safety and the project’s future, according to the document.
Timberland Solar, located at 1300 Goose Pond Road, received a notice of the project’s violation of the county’s stormwater ordinance on Jan. 10. The stormwater ordinance states projects cannot increase site runoff any more than the runoff levels from before a project begins.
“Timberland has increased runoff significantly more than the site's initial levels,” said Jeff Sharp, Oglethorpe County’s director of planning and zoning.
The order, which The Oglethorpe Echo received last Friday, describes ongoing flooding and sediment and erosion control issues that have damaged county infrastructure. It also points to the burden placed on emergency personnel and the county road department from the increase of traffic from tractor-trailer deliveries.
Citing these violations and a lack of response to the prior notice of violation, county authorities employed penalties outlined in the Oglethorpe County Unified Development Code.
“Oglethorpe County recently issued a stop work order and is working closely with us to resolve the matter related to our contractor,” a RWE Clean Energy spokesperson said in an email to The Oglethorpe Echo. “We look forward to moving forward with Timberland Solar and realizing the significant benefits it will bring to the local community."
Heavy rains this year flooded several roads in the area surrounding the project, including New Hope Vesta and Saxon Mattox. In addition, two tractor-trailers overturned on the same spot on Saxon Mattox Road within a day of each other, and at least five 18-wheelers became stuck on muddy or washed out roads in Oglethorpe and Wilkes counties in January, county officials said.
Several of those trucks were making deliveries to the solar project, county officials have said.
The stop work order also highlights alternative penalties if action isn’t taken. These can include project suspension and monetary fines of up to $2,500 per day for each violation.
The lifting of this order is contingent upon rectification of the identified issues, emphasizing the urgency to swiftly address concerns.
“Their official stance is that they are in compliance,” Sharp said. “And, our stance is they are not in compliance.”
While preventing increased runoff remains a concern, Commissioner Tracy Norman said the stop work order was issued with neighboring landowners in mind.
”I’ve got erosion in every drain that comes down to Goose Pond Creek and Broad River that fronts my property,” said John Burt, owner of 341 acres near the project site.
“From the county standpoint, until these issues are addressed, we can’t lift the work order, so they are going to have to take some action,” Norman said.